I tried again.
There was no signal that I could see, but somehow, the message had made it through, right? My free hand burrowed into the pocket of my trousers, and retrieved the picture of my family. I stared long and hard at the photo while listening to the silence that the phone fed me.
“Is everything all right?” Anna asked in a worried tone.
Guilt and anger blistered inside of me. I was helpless to protect my family from the coming dangers. I had to make sure they were safe. I had to right my wrongs.
“No. Everything is NOT all right.” I ended the call and pulled up a new text message. It was kept short and to the point.
Get to safe house, now.
It didn’t go through, but I prayed that a signal might be found.
Anna looked at the phone, then up to me. “What does that mean? Get to safe house.”
I didn’t answer.
I secured the phone in my trousers as I focused on the picture of my family’s smiling faces. Tears swelled in my eyes. Horrible thoughts of what the wretched hit men would do to them coalesced in my mind.
I was proficient in interrogating, and knew what buttons to press to make subjects talk—to reveal things that they never thought they’d let go of. Combine that with the subtle enjoyment of hurting people, it was the perfect storm. One now, that I regretted doing.
I kissed the photo, then shoved it back into my pocket. It was the only thing I had that tethered me to them.
It was time to get back on the move. I headed in the direction of the intersection.
Anna kept a few steps behind me. She didn’t probe as to what was wrong or what had me irritated.
She tagged along and, to be honest, I didn’t care. It was a free country, and she was free to do whatever she wanted to do just as long as it didn’t interfere with my plans.
We trudged through the battered streets of LA The distant blaring of sirens filled the space between us, but no police were spotted. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, or passing the time with idle banter. Anna, on the other hand, wasn’t opposed to playing twenty questions.
“I’m curious, what do you do for a living?”
I answered without missing a beat. “I’m a Realtor that sells condos to pompous rich people.”
“Yeah, right,” she replied. “I imagine every Realtor knows how to fight like you did back there. But serious, what is it that you do for work?”
I sighed. “What does it matter?”
“Color me curious.”
Ugh, Fine.
“I have certain skills that get people to talk about things they don’t want to talk about.”
“Are you a shrink?”
“No. I use physical means.”
She clapped her hands. “I got it. You’re a bartender.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m the one who drinks the alcohol.”
She paused for a moment. “Wait, I know. You’re that talk show host where his guests throw shit at each other. And usually someone goes to the hospital.”
“Right, that’s me.”
It wasn’t far from the truth. More times than not, I was surrounded by people who were looking to do shitty things to unscrupulous people, or so I’d been told.
“To be honest, I work for some bad people who are after me and my wife, that’s why the safe house. I’m trying to get to them.”
Anna walked up next to me. She peered up to me with a curious gaze. “Where’s your wife at? Is she in the city?”
I didn’t respond. The groans of injured people close by had snared my attention. Haggard and desolate, they sifted through mounds of rubble and debris.
The limbs of the dead protruded from the rubble like markers. Those who were able, tried to burrow through the contorted steel skeletons of the buildings that had crumbled down on top of them.
It looked like a scene from a war-torn Third World country—something that would only happen in areas of extreme conflict. I had never seen devastation like this. It was terrifying.
Anna peered over her shoulder as I watched the horrid scene before us. “The police department must be stretched thin across the city. I haven’t seen a single squad car in some time.”
I hadn’t either. The faint whisper of their sirens was the only indication that they were out and about. Other than that, they were nowhere to be seen.
“Given the damage the tsunami caused, then the earthquake, I imagine they’ll have their hands full for a long while,” I said.
Anna shuddered at the sight of the dead bodies out in the open. Blood painted the streets and sidewalks where they laid. People kneeled at their sides and wailed for their loss.
“Do you think the worst is finally over with?” Anna asked.
I didn’t know how to answer that. I was just as lost as Anna was.
The one thing that remained a constant for me was reaching my family.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SCARFACE
We found more blood.
Jackal was on Lawson’s trail. Like a bloodhound, he had a knack for picking up a mark’s scent. Through all of the jobs we had completed over the years, he had never failed in finding our target.
He lowered to the ground. The tips of his fingers probed the droplets of blood splattered on the concrete. His fingers rubbed the sanguine fluid between them as he scrutinized the findings.
I hovered over his shoulder and watched him work.
Jackal brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed. He peered down the long stretch of alley. “That way. He’s not bleeding as much now, but there’s still enough for us to track him.”
Jackal stood up. He wiped the blood from his fingers on his trousers, and glanced back at the second team that Rhys had sent to provide additional support. From the way Brawny spoke, it sounded more like they were there to keep tabs on us. I didn’t care for that, and neither did Jackal.
One of the members carried a parabolic dish while Brawny and his rather slim and meager subordinate covered our six.
The hit man wasn’t as big as Brawny, but he was still stout and solid. His arms were thick. An array of tattoos ran the length of both arms down to his wrists. His face appeared to be young, but the thick, black beard aged him.
I didn’t know his or any of their names for that matter. Much like Brawny, he was given a nickname. Grizzly.
Jackal nudged my arm. He snickered, then shook his head. His voice was low and laced with a condescending tone. “Jesus Christ. Will you check out that shit?”
A small, blue notebook was clutched in my hand. It was filled with some notes that I had gathered from Rhys on Lawson. Possible acquaintances and hideouts that he could have had in the area.
I glanced in the direction Jackal was and watched as Brawny’s Team approached us. I rolled my eyes, then sighed. “It’s hard finding good help nowadays.”
Jackal chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Brawny had his rifle slung over his shoulder. A Glock was tucked in his waistband. The other two members of his team had much of the same hardware.
Jackal wiped the smirk from his face. We didn’t need to rock the boat again.
“It’s nothing,” I said.
Brawny narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.
Jackal changed the subject. “Have you picked up anything useful on that dish yet?”
Grizzly shook his head. “Not yet, but hopefully we’ll get something soon.”
Brawny peered at the notebook I was holding. “Have anything useful in there?”
I flipped the notebook closed, then secured it in the back of my trousers.
“Loads.” I looked to Brawny and stared at his rifle. “Not too conspicuous with that rifle draped over your shoulder like that.”
Brawny glanced at the weapon, then back to me. “Why don’t you worry about finding our target instead of the hardware we’re carrying.” Brawny turned, and looked back down the empty alleyway, then straight ahead. “No police or anything. Kind of got their hands full with al
l of the shit happening. I think we’ll be fine.”
The urge to gut Brawny like a stuck pig gelled in my mind. He’d missed the point I was trying to make.
Jackal offered me a quick glance. He knew what I was thinking, and would’ve been all for it.
I motioned in the direction we were heading. “Let’s get moving. Why don’t you take point?”
Jackal went ahead of us. I fell in line behind him with Brawny and his two goons bringing up the rear.
We moved through the passageway and out into the street. Jackal was on the hunt. He paused for a moment, and glanced down the abandoned street to the flashing crowd control barriers that had the intersection blocked off. He looked across the street and zeroed in on the alleyway. “There.”
I didn’t doubt his instincts. He was one of the best trackers around.
Jackal made his way over to the opening of the alley with us in tow. Two men were sprawled out on the pavement behind a tan sedan. Soft groans loomed in the air.
“Man. Looks like someone got their asses handed to them,” Jackal said.
Of the two downtrodden thugs, only one was conscious and moving. The other was motionless, and didn’t respond to our presence. I didn’t bother checking him since we had one that was coherent.
I bent over and grabbed a handful of the coherent one’s smirched rags. I yanked him off the ground. He winced and mumbled under his breath. I couldn’t make it out. His nose and top lip were painted in dried blood. He favored his midsection.
“What happened here? Who did this to you?” I asked.
His face contorted in confusion–eyes heavy. His lids were cracked as his head bobbled about. “Wha- Who the hell are you guys?”
I smacked him hard in the face. “What happened here, and who did this to you?” I said once more.
He reeled from the blow and stepped back. “Christ, man. Why the hell are you hitting me?”
Brawny and his team kept their distance while Jackal checked the other guy on the ground; just in case we needed a backup to interrogate.
I pulled the one in my grasp close. Fear washed over his face as he peered into my eyes. “Last time I’m going to ask. What happened here, and who did this to you?”
He brought his hands up in the air and cowered before me. “All right, pal. Christ. This young girl paid us to act like we were going to rob her and all. You know, really sell it. She didn’t say why but flashed some money at us. Anyway, some guy shows up out of the blue. Beat us to shit and all. He takes out my friend there, and that bitch elbowed me in the face. I think she may have broken my nose.”
Jackal looked up to me, then shook his head. His friend was dead.
I released the man’s dingy rags. My hands brushed any dirt away from his shoulders. “Why did she want you to pretend to rough her up?”
The man shrugged. “Who knows? Didn’t bother to ask after she showed us the money. She paid us one hundred bucks each to do it. So, we did.”
I chewed on his words, and nodded. “Did you catch a name by chance?”
“She didn’t say.” He turned to the side, then glanced down to his friend. His face contorted in horror at the site of his cohort’s motionless body. “Shit, man. I think that asshole killed Frank.”
I offered a subtle smirk, then patted him on the side of his arm. “We appreciate your cooperation.”
Jackal removed his pistol from behind his back as I slipped past the beaten thug.
“No wait, I–”
A low, muffled report filled my ears, followed by the man’s body hitting the pavement like wet cement.
Jackal came up alongside me with his pistol clutched in his hand. “What do you think?”
“I have an idea of where he might be heading. Mr. Coleman gave us some intel about some possible connections Lawson has in the area.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
CORY
This was the last place we needed to be without any weapons. It was the seedy part of the city that people warned you to steer clear of. And here we were, about to enter the belly of the beast.
He better be there.
It was all I could think as we neared the edge of the run-down section of Los Angeles. I struggled to separate the recent natural disasters from the everyday look that the neighborhood had.
Any buildings that had managed to survive the crippling earthquake appeared just as battered and worn as most others we had seen. The streets were littered with trash–ramshackle cars sat neglected in the dangerous slum.
I was antsy, and reached for the pistol that wasn’t tucked within my waistband. I had been in many ghettos all over the country, and all warranted me packing some sort of hardware to defend myself.
Anna stayed close by my side. Her head was on a swivel, and trained on any subtle noise that grabbed our attention. She was worried, and so was I. “You keep some interesting company.”
You have no idea.
“It’s a means to an end. He’s more of an acquaintance than anything, but he owes me a favor. Besides, I wouldn’t be down in this part of the city if I had any other options,” I replied.
Nestled within a dilapidated building, that had a portion of its front wall missing, was a homeless woman. Her dirty, deadpan face hung low to the floor as she watched us pass by.
Gunshots rang out. We flinched and ducked. It was close by. I searched the area, but couldn’t find the source. Anna grabbed the straps of her bag a hair tighter.
Ahead of us was an intersection that had a number of cars stationed along the cross walks. They were positioned in such a way that the street was blocked off and wouldn’t allow any outside vehicles access.
A bad feeling gnawed at my insides as we continued on. Slipping through the slums without anyone spotting us was going to be tricky. Given my haggard state and Anna’s age, we were prime targets.
I stopped, then grabbed Anna by the arm. My finger pressed to my lips.
She leaned in, and kept her voice low. “What’s wrong?”
I pulled her behind the safety of a sky-blue, two door pickup that sat on four flats. We hunkered down behind the rusted heap of steel. “I thought I spotted someone with an automatic rifle.”
Anna slid down the body of the truck, and rested on her backside. I stood up, and glanced through the dingy windows of the truck. It was hard to spot the armed thug, but I tracked him across the street.
Trails of smoke plumed into the air from behind a beat up white sedan. I craned my neck and spotted his black hat over the vehicle’s roof. It was turned backward and rested just above his brow.
He continued on past the car and came into view. He stopped and peered in our direction. He took a drag off the cigarette that hung from his lips. The automatic rifle was held tight in his left hand. He had the butt stock resting on his hip while he skimmed over the street.
I was pretty well concealed and out of his periphery.
He turned to the side and discarded the bud with a flick of his finger. There was a tattoo on his upper bicep. I couldn’t make it out at first. I focused on his brown skin until it clicked. I knew who this dirtbag was, or more so, who he rolled with.
Shit. Things just went from bad to worse.
I lowered down next to Anna and sighed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice fused with worry.
I nodded in the direction of our armed friend who had the intersection locked down.
“Local gang member. Runs with the Young Bloods. They’re a rather large gang. With the cops being occupied with rescue efforts and all, I imagine they saw an opportunity to take over some more turf.”
Anna glanced down the sidewalk toward the intersection. “Is there another way we can go?”
My tongue slid over my dried lips. I was parched, and my mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
It was a bad situation—one we would have to be careful with.
We stayed put while I plotted out our next move. There wasn’t a chance of me retreating. I was going to get t
hrough here, one way or another.
I looked to the buildings close by, trying to find a passage or opening we could exploit. Being out in the open was going to be hazardous with the Young Bloods roaming the area. Even if I had a sidearm, discharging it would only attract more of the armed thugs.
Anna got to her feet. She stayed low as I scanned over the storefronts of the abandoned businesses. The interiors were dark and void of any people. It was difficult to tell if anyone was lurking within the condemned structures.
Anna elbowed me in the side, then pointed back the way we had come.
The homeless woman from earlier was staring at us from the edge of the missing wall. Her head poked out a smidge more. She craned her neck and peered in the direction of the lookout that was close by.
It was hard to tell what she was doing.
She glanced at us and motioned with her gloved hands for us to head her way. I was hesitant, but we had to move.
“Keep low and stay on my six,” I said in a low whisper.
Anna acknowledged.
We bolted from the cover of the truck and made for the woman. She continued to watch the lookout while she waved us in.
I kept close to the building and slipped past her. Anna followed me in as we vanished into the shadows of the structure.
I skimmed over the derelict interior for any threats. Mounds of rubble lay scattered all over. Busted furniture added to the defunct space that looked as though the building should be condemned and demolished. No threats were found.
The woman retreated from the edge of the busted brick wall. She turned on the heels of her ratty boots and stared at us.
I offered her a grateful nod. “Thank you.”
She stood there, and looked at us with a dead, lifeless gaze. Her shoulders were hunched over, and she didn’t blink. I wasn’t getting a solid vibe from her. I looked to the opening of the building, and contemplated bolting for the street.
“Not safe out there. Those damn hoodlums were crawling all over the place. You two, especially her, will be easy targets for those gangbangers.” Her voice was raspy, and sounded as though she had chewed on broken glass. She coughed and hacked, then turned to the side. A wad of phlegm flung from her mouth to the ground.
Brink of Extinction | Book 1 | Sudden Impact Page 5
